James e



(Ha Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. E. MARBLE, y l AUTOMATIC GOUPLNG FOR STEAM AND' AIR PIPES OP-RALWAYGARS.

Patented Feb. 7, X893.

'mi mums arms co, mommwu, WASHINGTON. u c

2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

Patented Feb.` 7, 1893..

J. E. MARBLE. Ummm novum@ ma STEAM AND AIR ms or RAILWAY cms.

(No Model.)

Inventor:

JAMES EM ARBLE nvny.

U NTTED STATES PATENT Trice,

JAMES E. MARBLE, OF ALBANY, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE TO JOSEPH lV.FULLER, OE-SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC CUUPLING FOR STEAM AND AIR PIPES FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECXFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,291, dated February'7, 1893.

Application tiled September 3, 1892. Serial No, 444,973. (No modeL) To@ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, .lanas E. MARBLE, of the city and county of Albany,in the State ofy New York, have invented nevi7 and useful lmprovementsin Automatic Couplings for Steam and Air Pipes for Railway-Gars, ofWhich the lfollov'fing is a specification.

This invention relates to couplings for pipes o railway oars, wherebysteam-pipes, and steam and air pipes, can be automatically coupledtogether simultaneously with the coupling together of the cars.

In the accompanying drawings, which are herein referred to and form partof this specification, Figure l is a side elevation of one of mycouplings, showing the head of a conjoining coupling connected thereto;Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of my coupling; Fig. 3 is a frontelevation; Fig. et is a plan View of my coupling with a part of the headbroken away to show internal construction of the latter; Fig. is a rearelevation of my coupling and the hanger for carrying the same; Fig. 6 isan enlarged and detached front ele- Vationol the 'face-plate of mycoupling; and Fig. 7 is a verticalsection of the latter.

As represented in the drawings, A designates the head of my coupler,which is preferably made rectangular in form, and has in its outer end aremovable tace-plate, B, which is iiush with the face et the head; saidfaceplate covers one or more chambers, l, and each chamber contains aspring, 2, which bears against the inner face of an annulus, C, whichprotrudes beyond the outer face of the head A and is provided with acircumferential lauge, 3, to limit the extent of such protrusion;preferably said annulus is made of an elastic material that will forni asteamtight joint when two of said annuluses are held in contact againstthe resistance of the springs 2. A gasket, 4t of rubber or othermaterial suitable for forming air-tight joints, is interposed betweenthe face-plate B and the inner face of the chamber of said head in whichsaid .tace-plate is contained and said gasket forms a joint that willprevent steam or air from passing `from one of the chambers l intoanother said gasket encirclingeach of said annuluses so as to preventthe escape of steam or air around the latter; the face-plate B issecured in place by means of suitable screws or bolts, 5, Whose outerends should not protrude beyond the face of said face-plate. The outerend of the head A is provided with guide-tongues or tenons, G and 7, andwith mortises, 8 and 9, the mortise 8, which is adapted to receive thetongue 6 of a conjoining head, is formed at the outer side of tongue 7which is curved toward the center of the head for the purpose of guidingthe tongue 6 of a conjoining head into said mortise; and the mortise 9,which is adapted to receive the tongue 7 of a conjoining head A, isformed at the base of the inner side of the tongue 6; the outer portionof the latter is tapered on both faces and edges to form a lance-shapedend which will facilitate the entrance of said tongue into the mortise 8of a conjoining head A. From each of the chambers l., a tube, lO,extends rearwardly and projects from the rearmost end of the coupling soas to receive a flexible tube, ll, which forms a connection with apendent pipe which is a branch from a steam-p'ipe-or air-pipe orpipes-Which forms a part of the system of pipes with Which the rail Waycar is provided.

As shown in the drawings my coupling is provided With three pipes l0,one of Which is appropriatedto steam for su pplyiug the steamheatingsystem of the train, another for connecting the compressed-air receiverwith the air-brake system of the train, and the other for conveyingcompressed air to the signal- Whistle when thel train is to be stoppedor started; but, when preferred, either one-or any tWo--of said pipesmay be dispensed with, and the coupling can then be Worked With theremaining pipe or pipes.

At each side of the head A a lateral flange, 12, is formed to receivethe lower end of a pair of iexible Suspenders, D, by which the outer endof my coupling is preferably suspended from the bottom ol' a car; eachof said Suspenders consists of a spring, 13, which connects with aturn-buckle, ll, and a staple, l5, attached to the bottom of a car; thehookedend of said turn-buckle is fitted to engage in a hole in thecorresponding flange l2, and by means of said turn-buckles the head Acan be adjusted to a central position in vrespect to the end of a carand maintained at a required ICO height to correspond to the position oflike heads of similar couplings, so that any number of cars that aresimilarly equipped can havetheir pipe-systems automatically coupledtogether by coupling the draw-bars of a train, provided said drawbarsare hooked together to hold the carsof a train together closely and inan invariable manner. The iiexible suspenders D will permit thecouplings to sway sidewise sufficiently to permit the train to flexwhile it is passing around curves on a track.

A tubular extension, 10, is preferably provided for containing andprotecting the pipes 10, and said extension can be integral with thehead A-as shown in the drawings-or it may be a separate piece connectedto said head; said extension is provided with a circumferential collaror flange,17, which forms an abutment for one end of a spring, 1S, whichencireles said extension and presses the coupler outward for the purposeof keeping the heads of two couplings in close contact when coupledtogether. The rearmost end of the tubular extension is provided with aclosure, 19, which is pierced for receiving the pipe or pipes 10; saidclosure is provided with oppositely located pivots, 20, to which alooselyfitted ring, 2l, is pivoted, and the latter is provided Withoppositely-located trunnions, 22, which are arranged at right angles tothe pivots 20; the ring 21, pivots 20, and trunnions 22 form auniversal-joint for the rearinost end of my coupling, so as to leave theouter end of the latter free to be swung in any direction. The tubularextension 16 has a loosely- Afitted collar, 23, encircling it, and saidcollar forms an abutment for the inner end of the 'Spring 18.

A hanger, E, made in two separable parts which are connected together,as at 24, is secured to the bottom side of the car for the purpose ofcarrying the rearmost end of my coupling; the sides of said hanger areprovided with oppositely-located slotted-openings, 25, for receiving thetrunnions 22, so that the latter can have a sliding movement thereinwhen the coupling is pushed inwardly, or a rocking movement when thecoupling is swung up or down. The sides of said hanger are provided withlongitudinally-extending arms, 2G, which take against the collar 23 andafford support for the latter. Preferably the hanger E is provided witha brace, 2S, which is arranged to resist a thrusting strain.

In practice the plane of the face of the head A should project slightlybeyond the vertical. plane of the engaging face of the hook of acar-coupler, so that when the cars are coupled together the heads A willbe in contact, and the springs 18 being thereby compressed to hold theannuluses C closely in contact with the like parts of a conjoining head,and thereby a continuous system of pipes will be maintained from one endof a railway train tothe opposite end. It should be understood that thependent pipes 27 are part of systems of pipes arranged within each carfor conveying steam and compressed air through each car of a train, andthat each pipe of said systems is provided with a shut-off cock orvalve-- which is preferably located within the carso that, at therearmost end of the last car of a train, communication through the pipesl0 may be closed at the rear end of a train, and thereby an escape ofsteam and compressed air through said pipes will be prevented.

My invention is operated in lthe following manner: Vhen two cars arepushed together, as in coupling them together, the tongues 6 and 7 ofthe heads A will enter the mortises 8 and 9, respectively, of theconjoining heads, and thereby the annuluses C of the two couplings willbe forced into close contact, and communication between the pipes 10 ofthe conjoining couplings will be thereby established; in effecting thisconjunction, the springs 18 of the couplings will be compressed to holdthe faces of said annuluses in sufficiently close contact to form steamor airtight joints between the faces which come into contact. Theuniversal-joints at the rear end of my coupling will permit the latterto accommodate itself to any tortuous movements of the cars of a train.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis- 1. In an automatic coupling for steamand air-pipes which is held incontact with a like coupling by means of a car-coupler, the combinationof a head, A, provided with a series of chambers, 1, each of whichcontains a spring, 2, a removable face-plate, B, which covers saidchambers and is provided with a series of movable annuluses, C, arrangedcorrespondingly to said chambers; the inner end of said annuluses beingarranged to bear against a corresponding spring 2 and the outer end ofthe saine projecting beyond the vertical plane of the end of said head,a gasket, 4, interposed between said face-plate and head so as toencircle each of said annuluses; the head A being provided with tongues,6 and 7, and with mortises, 8 and 9, so arranged that the tongues of onehead will engage with the corresponding mortises of a conjoining head ofa like coupling, and a series of pipes, 10, leading rearwardly from saidchambers, as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. In an automatic coupling for the steam and air pipes of railway-cars,the combination with a coupling-head, A, which is carried by flexibleSuspenders, D, which are adjustable; said Suspenders consisting of aspring, 13, and a turn-buckle, 14, of pipes, 10, leading rearwardly fromsaid head and inclosed in a tubular extension, 16, havinga collar orflange, 17, a spring, 1S,bearing against said collar, a loosely-fittedcollar, 23, through which said extension slips loosely, a loosely-ttedring, 21, pivoted to the inner end of said extension and provided withtrunnions, 22, a hanger, E,

fixed to the body of a car and provided with slotted openings, 25, forreceiving the trun- IOC IIO

nions 22, and with arms, 26, tted to take' against the collar 23, es andfor the purpose herein specified.

8. In a coupling for steainor air-pipes for reiiWey-cnrs, thecombination of e chambered head, a removabie face-pinteprovided withspring-actuated annulnses fitted to move inwardly and outwzirdiyin thechamber of seid head, and a. gasket interposed between said head andfece-plate so as to encircle each annnins; whereby steam or ei r isprevented from escaping around seid annuiuses and from passim g from onechamber into another in the seine heed, substantially as hereinspeciiied.

4:. In n coupling for stemnor air-pipes for

